Daily Logistics & Island Lifestyle
Daily Logistics
Located at the south of Graham Island, you will find the beautiful Village of Queen Charlotte. This is where students will live for the semester, amidst the breathtaking landscape of sea and mountains. Students will gain an intimate relationship with the village outside of class time, and for classes will hop over to the next town, Skidegate, which is a 10 minute drive or a scenic bike ride from Charlotte.
Classes run from Monday to Friday from 9am to noon, with afternoons reserved for discussions with guest speakers, field trips, or time to complete course readings and assignments. During Rainforest Ecology and Management (March 21 – April 8), classes will involve a large field component and will run from 9-5, Monday to Friday. Evenings are generally free with the exception of public lectures every 2-3 weeks. Outside of class time, there are many opportunities for students to participate in activities, engage with the community (Click here for a links to organizations on Island), and immerse themselves in the Haida Gwaii lifestyle…
Island Lifestyle
As part of the Haida Gwaii Semester, students become immersed in the unique Island lifestyle while living in Queen Charlotte Village. With a population of approximately 1000 people, Queen Charlotte is a small yet lively community. The remoteness of this island village provides an opportunity to swap hectic city life for a quiet escape to the experience of peaceful village life.
Winter in Haida Gwaii is spectacular and offers many opportunities from outdoor excursions and community involvement to quiet down time and serene walks along the shoreline. Students must come with the awareness that it can also be quite dark, rainy and quiet. Queen Charlotte has very different kind of nightlife, with most businesses closing at 5pm. Haida Gwaii Semester students should be good self-entertainers who are happy to spend time on their own or with each other, making their own entertainment. Students will have plenty of opportunity to pursue some of their personal hobbies and interests and are encouraged to bring along items such as extracurricular reading material, musical instruments, art supplies and/or a kayak, a bicycle or a skateboard.
Although small and remote, you will find everything you need in Queen Charlotte. Amenities in Charlotte include a grocery store, a natural foods store, convenience stores, cafes, a few restaurants, a pub, liquor stores, an office supply store, two hardware stores, a thrift store, and a few stores for shopping. There is an ATM at one of the convenience stores and a cash machine at the Northern Savings Credit Union. Prices are a little higher than in the city because of shipping costs, and if you order something, it can take a while to arrive.
During the winter, the ferry brings mail to the islands three times a week. You can receive mail at the Post Office through a general delivery address:
Your Name
General Delivery
Queen Charlotte, BC
V0T 1S0
“Experiences like our trip to see forest operations are a constant reminder of the pressures put on forests to sustain resource dependent communities and the changes that must be made to ensure a functional relationship with the forest can continue into the distant future.”
- Ansley Charbonneau, 2010 Haida Gwaii Semester Student (University of Guelph)
